Artist Bio

Early Life & Education

Growing up in South Africa, Deborah studied visual art both in and out of school. After moving to Europe in the 1990s, she completed A-Level Art, followed by a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Art & Design) in Brighton, UK.

Career & Artistic Practice

In the early 2000s, Deborah worked in London as a web designer before migrating to Far North Queensland, Australia, where she taught at primary schools and ran after-school art classes, organised visual & digital art exhibitions for children at Central Gallery, Innisfail, and participated in local art shows. Deborah's work at the time included acrylics on canvas, needlelace, and installation art.

In 2009-2011, as the appointed Primary Arts Network Facilitator for the Tully/Johnstone cluster of schools, Deborah organised pottery and drumming workshops for staff and coordinated inter-school workshops for students in Media, Music, Art, and Dance. In July 2010, she received a RADF grant to run video editing workshops and in 2012 she worked with students at South Johnstone State School to create a short which won the CaneTube School Prize. 

After the birth of her first child, she shifted focus to designing and making cloth baby books, selling her work on Etsy and licensing designs via Spoonflower. As her children approached school age, Deborah founded The Rainforest School, and later, Darlingia Forest School, an independent democratic school in Innisfail focusing on hands-on, outdoor education for active and creative learners. It ran for three and a half years until it was suddenly shut down with 16 students and six p/t staff.

In the aftermath of the school’s closure in 2024, as well as attempting to restart it, Deborah found solace in handbuilding with clay at Warrina Lakes Learning Hub, now the Narra Tree: 

"I can shape the clay form, develop and refine it to my liking. It’s challenging, but it’s also meditative and deeply rewarding. My passion for clay is growing, and I enjoy sharing it with our local community via school visits and workshops for the general public."